Spring-clasp



(No Model.)

' J.J.UNBEHEND.

SPRING CLASP. No. 326,353. I Patented Sept. 15, 1885,.

W/ VEEEER f/gmp NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

SPRING-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,353, datedSeptember 15, 1885.

7 Application filed April 24, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, J A0013 J. UNBEHEND, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Spring Clasps, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and-exactdescription.

This invention relates to the class of clasps in which a tongue hingedto one plate interlocks With a slotted plate; and it has more particularreference to the species of clasps in which two plates lying one uponthe other are connected together at one end, and the tongue is hinged onthe opposite end of one of said plates, and is provided with a cam bywhich it bears on the other plate, and in swinging the tongue back andforth on its hinge it pries the two plates apart,and there by impartsspring action to the tongue.

The invention consists, first, in a novel con,- struction andcombination of the component parts of the clasp, which allows nearly orquite the entire length of the spring-plate to lie closely upon theplate on which the tongue is hinged when the clasp is closed, so as torender the clasp more compact, and also prevent the japan from enteringbetween said plates, and thus guard against clogging thereof, and whichalso properly limits the movenient of the tongue toward its openposition and the invention consists, secondly, in a novel, simple, andeffective means for re-enforcing the slotted plate and compensating forthe removal of material by the slots thereof, all as hereinafter morefully described,and specifically set forth in the claims.

The invention is fully illustrated in the annexed drawings,whereinFigures I and II are side views of myimproved clasp, showing the same inits closed and open positions respectively. Figs. III and IV are planviews of opposite sides of the plates which carry the tongue. Fig.V is aplan view of the blank from which the tongue is formed. Fig. VI is aplan view of the re-enforced slotted plate. Fig.VII is a side view ofthe clasp embodying modifications of my invention; and Figs.VIII and IXare detached plan views of the tonguecarrying plate and tongue-actuatingspringplate.

Similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts.

0 represents the slotted plate, which is to be secured at one end to thestrap or quarter of the shoe or other article; and T is the tongue,which is hinged to a plate attached to the other strap or quarter, andinterlocks with the slotted plate in drawing the said straps or quarterstogether and fastening the same.

A represents the tongue carrying plate, which is provided with a pintle,a, at its forward endi.c., the end adjacent to the slotted plate ()-andhas back of said pintle a transverse slot, u, for the reception of thestrap, to which it is to be attached in the usual and well-known manner.The front of the plate A is provided with forward extensions Z Z at theends of the pintle a, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

B is a flexible plate secured to the rear end of the plate A, either byan eyelet, r, as shown, or by any other suitable and well known means,by which itis held normally close upon the plate A. This plate Bisprovided with a slot, u, corresponding to that of the plate A, and madefor the same purpose, and at the ends of said slot the plate B is formedwith forward extensions 12 b, projecting beyond the extensions Z lot theplate A and made wider, so that the space between the longitudinal edgesof the extensions 1) b shall be narrower than the length of the pintlea.

The two plates A and B are formed of the same uniform and parallelplanes fromendto end, with the exception, possibly, of a slight downwardbend of the extremities of the extensionsl Z of the plate A. Said platesare thus enabled to lie contiguously one upon the other throughout theirlength, thereby guardin g against the clogging of said plates,incidentto the entrance of japan between them during the process of japanningthe clasp.

The tongue T is formed of a blank (shown in Fig. Vof the drawings)consisting of a piece of sheet metal, formed at one end with notchesforming a rectangular end portion, m, and abrupt offsets t 15, back ofthe portion m, and a short distance back of these offsets the width ofthe blank is reduced, first, to the width of the end portion,m, an dthence to proper shape to allow it to easily enter one of the slots,v,of the plate 0. That portion of the blank which has the offsets t t isofa width equal to the length of the pintle a of the plate A, and saidportion, together with the rectangular end.

closely upon the plate A when the clasp. is.

closed, as represented in Fig. I of the drawlngs.

In raising the tongue and throwing it into its open position,asillustrated in Fig. lIof the drawings, the wider portion of the sleeve,back of the offsets tt, is carried around and caused to impinge theextensions b b of the plate B, and thereby pry the two plates A and Bapart, the resistance of said plates imparting the spring action to thetongue. As the tongue arrives at its proper open position theofl'sets tt on the ends of the sleeve s collide with the top of the extensions Z Zof the plate A, and thus serve as stops which arrest the farthermovement of the tongue, and thus sustain the same in proper position forentering the slot 11 of the plate 0.

In swinging the tongue back into its closed position the slotted plate 0is drawn over onto the plate B, and during this operation the extensionsb b of the plate B bear against the under side of the side bars of theslotted plate 0, while the tongue moves between said extensions. Theslotted plate is thus guided so as to prevent the extensions b b fromentering the slots 11 v, and thus interfering with the movement of theslotted plate toward the plate B. The extensions b b also serve tosteady the tongue T during its aforesaid movement, so as to obviate thedanger ofthe wider portion ofthe sleeve slipping from under theextensions b b.

When the clasp is closed, the offsets M of the sleeve 8 are underneaththe rear portion of the extensions b b of the plate B, and the pressureof this plate on said offsets serves to hold the tongue down in itsclosed position.

I do not limit myself specifically to the relative positions of theplates A and B, as it is obvious that the plate B may be arranged underthe plate A, as represented in Fig. VII of the drawings, in which casethe wider portion of the sleeve is to be formed on the end of the blank,which is rolled up into the shape of the sleeve 8.

In order to strengthen the plate Gaud compensate for the weakeningthereof, incident to the removal of material by the slots 12 v, Igradually widen the side bars, n n, of said plate from as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination of the plate A, formed of a uniform plane from end toend, and provided with the pintle a and the plate B, of a correspondinguniform plane from end to end, and lying contiguous to the plate A andprovided with the extensions b b, the tongue T, having the sleeve 8,embracing the p ntle, and portions of the ends of the sleeve cut away toallow the superincumbent plate to lie closely upon the other plate, fromend to end thereof, whenthe clasp is closed, substantially as setforth..

2. The combination of the plates A and B, of g the same uniform planes,connected together at one end, and the pintle a on one of said plates,the tongue T, having the sleeve 8, embracing the pintle, and formed withthe stops it t on the ends of the sleeve to limit the movement of 3 .ofa corresponding uniform plane, and the tongue T, having the sleeve 8,embracing the pintle, and provided with stops t t, arranged to collidewith the extensions Hand arrest the 9 movement of the tongue when in itsopen position, substantially in the manner described and shown. I

4. The combination of the plate A, provided at its forward end with thepintle a, and formed of a uniform plane throughout, the plate B, of acorresponding uniform plane, attached to the opposite end of the plateA, and pro vided with the forward extensions b b, having the spacebetween their longitudinal edges narrower than the length of the pintle,and the tongue T, having the sleeve 8, embracing the pintle, a portionof said sleeve extending the length of the pintle and the remainder ofthe sleeve and adjacent portions of the tongue be 1 ing narrowed tocorrespond to the space between the extensions b b, whereby the tongueis sustained laterally in its movements and the two plates are allowedto lie closely one upon the other when the clasp is closed,substantially as described and shown.

5. In combination with the clasp, the slotted plate 0, re-enforced bygradual increase of the width of the said bars n n from the ends to thecenter thereof, substantially as described 1 and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed my seal,in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the countyof Onondaga, inthe State of New York, 1 2 5 this 21st day of April,1885.

JACOB J. UNBEHEND. [L. s.] Witnesses:

FREDERICK H. GIBBS, O. BENDIXON.

ICC

